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At least seven people have died after a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus on Sunday, according to Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel. The catamaran-style vessel, carrying 267 people including crew, overturned shortly after departing Kyrenia port, also known as Girne, at around 12:30 p.m. local time, bound for Taşucu Port in Turkey’s southern Mersin province.
Üstel told Turkish media that 237 people had been rescued, while 23 remained missing. The ferry began taking on water for an as-yet-unknown reason shortly after leaving port, prompting the captain to issue a distress call. Turkish Cypriot Transport Minister Erhan Arikli confirmed that rescue operations were under way to bring injured passengers to Girne Port and then to local hospitals, and that the cause of the incident would be investigated.
Images broadcast by Turkish television showed the upside-down ferry in the water, with people wearing life vests atop its orange hull. The weather was sunny, and several boats were seen in the area to assist. The Northern Cyprus Coast Guard Command deployed passenger ships, five pilotage units, and two coast guard helicopters, while the Turkish Naval Forces assigned six additional naval units to the search and rescue effort, Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar reported.
Kyrenia Mayor Murat Şenkul described the situation as “very serious” in a Facebook post, identifying the ferry as the *Diana*, operated by Filo Denizcilik. He said the Coast Guard, the *Akgünler Express* vessel, and numerous small boats were participating in rescue operations. The Turkish Cypriot health ministry stated that hospitals in the territory had been alerted to provide medical attention as needed.
Üstel posted an update on X, calling the incident a “tragic shipwreck” and stating that locating the 23 missing people was the “utmost priority.” He offered condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a swift recovery for the injured. “All institutions of our state are on the ground. We are continuing the search and rescue efforts with the utmost care and closely following developments,” he said.
The ferry capsized about 2 kilometers off the coast, near Diana Beach, according to local reports. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said on X that the Turkish Coast Guard was supporting the rescue operation. The vessel had initially been scheduled to depart on Saturday but was delayed due to adverse weather conditions, Üstel told Anadolu Agency. A severe storm had struck parts of Cyprus the day before, causing flooding, power outages, and at least one death in a separate maritime incident.
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